Malaysia charges two teens in Islamic school fire

Malaysia has charged two Muslim teenagers with murder for igniting a fire at an Islamic school earlier this month that killed 21 students and three teachers. Police arrested the two boys and five other teenage suspects in connection to the Sept. 14 fire that gutted a dormitory at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah school. Police believe the suspects used cooking gas canisters and petrol to set the dormitory on fire after some of the students living there teased them. The blaze blocked the dormitory’s only exit, trapping the students. Authorities rescued at least 14 students and four teachers from the flames. Prosecutor Othman Abdullah said the suspects would return to court on Nov. 28. The school is one of hundreds of “tahfiz” schools in Malaysia, where students memorize the Quran. The schools fall under Malaysia’s religious department, bypassing many safety regulations the education ministry requires. Days after the incident, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced a special $7 million fund to upgrade religious schools across the country.